‘CO-ED’ TRAINING HUB IN STADIUM VISION
A NEW state-of-the-art training facility at the southern end of GMHBA Stadium is set to be a key feature of the finalised Kardinia Park redevelopment.
The proposed facility, boasting a 60m x 40m indoor training space, would include a commercial area and community hub, allowing athletes from around the Geelong region access as well as the Cats’ four football sides.
The addition of two women’s programs to the Geelong Football Club is one of the major drivers of the planned project, according to Cats chief executive Steve
Hocking.
Further events at GMHBA Stadium when it becomes a 40,000-seat venue mean the Cats will have to find new ways to train.
Hocking said the addition of an inside training facility at the Kardinia Park precinct would be crucial in allowing that to happen.
“One of the main reasons for it is the challenges that we are going to face as far as once it becomes a 40,000-seat stadium,” Hocking said.
“There is going to be a lot of events that are going to take place at our stadium.
“When I left to go to the AFL four years ago, we only had two programs, which was an AFL men’s and a VFL men’s. We are now co-ed, we have got four programs now – we have got AFLW and we have also got VFLW.
“It is really important that this precinct supports those four programs moving forward, so that is going to be a really important facility for us to deliver – collectively (as a) board and also the executive as well.
“So we are going to have a real keen focus on that as we come out of stage five (redevelopment). That is something that we are looking to do down the far end of the park.”
Speaking at the Geelong Football Club annual general meeting on Monday, Hocking reiterated the Cats’ desire to increase membership to 100,000.
He also said winning premierships, while not easy, and ensuring Geelong remained a destination club, were key aims.
“That is really important to us,” he said.
“That is one of the reasons I am back here, it is a destination club.
“It is a fantastic place to work, it is a fantastic place to live.
“The migration that is coming into the region, we need to take the opportunity to access the people that are actually coming here and make sure that our club environment is continuing to be a leader across the competition because it is more competitive year-on-year.”